Computing devices can include a variety of means to permit user input, perhaps the most common of which is a keyboard. Depending on the intended application of the computing device, different arrangements and/or numbers of keys can be provided. For example, numeric keyboards can be provided for tasks relating to numeric input, alphabetic keyboards can be provided for tasks requiring text input and alphanumeric keyboards can be provided for tasks requiring both text and numeric input. Further, special purpose keys, such as Function keys, modifier keys (ALT, CTRL, etc), or hardware specific keys (such as SCAN keys for barcode scanners) can be provided.
The selection and arrangement of keys provided by a keyboard can also differ based upon different cultures and/or languages of expected users. For example, QWERTY keyboards are commonly used for English speaking users, AZERTY keyboards may be preferred by French speaking users, QWERTZ keyboards may be preferred by German speaking users, etc.
One way to address the desire or need for different keyboards has been to design, manufacture and make available multiple keyboards for each computing device, an appropriate one of which keyboards can be installed depending on the various applications envisaged for the computing device. Typically these different keyboards are only installed at time of manufacture of the computing device or require a service technician to install them after manufacture. In the former case, the computing device is less adaptable than might otherwise be desired and in the latter case, the cost of change the keyboard may be higher than is otherwise desired.
Another problem with conventional keyboards is that keyboards tend to inevitably wear with use as they have moving parts. Typically, when this wear results in a failure, the computing device must be returned to a maintenance/service depot for a service technician to change or replace the keyboard.
Another issue which exists with keyboards for computing devices is the issue of sealing the keyboard to inhibit the ingress of foreign matter into the keyboard and/or computing device enclosure. Such sealing issues are particularly important for portable, handheld and/or industrial devices which may be subject to the intrusion of dust, moisture or other foreign materials into the device enclosure resulting in impaired performance, or total failure, of the computing device and/or the keyboard itself.
Prior attempts to provide a sealed keyboard have been subject to a trade off between ease of use, user ergonomic factors, durability, price and quality of seal. Some prior solutions have employed membranes to seal the keyboards. In these systems, if the membrane is punctured (which can happen over time with even normal use), foreign material can enter the computing device through the puncture, possibly resulting in damage to the computing device. Further, if the membrane overlies, or forms, the keys of the keyboard, a loss of tactile feedback and/or decreased user performance can result.
More recently, computing devices have employed touchscreen displays upon which virtual keyboards are displayed. While such systems avoid having moving parts and mitigate the issues with sealing and/or different keyboard layouts, touchscreens generally provide poor keyboard ergonomics for any but small input tasks as there is no tactile feedback provided to the user. Further, touchscreens may not be suitable for computing devices intended for rugged use or industrial environments as touchscreen displays are relatively fragile and/or can prevent users wearing hand protection (gloves) from using their keyboards.
It would therefore be advantageous for a manufacturer of computing devices to provide a keyboard that provides good ergonomics, is sealed to prevent the ingress of foreign material into the computing device, can relatively easily be reconfigured to provide different keypad layouts/designs and which can be relatively easily serviced or repaired.